This invention relates to food packs and is particularly, although not exclusively, applicable to fast food items such as burgers, bagels and the like.
WO 97/07037 discloses a pack for articles of good or other merchandise comprising a bag and a carton form for supporting a lower part of the bag having a base with a central fold line and walls hinged to the base along further fold lines to enable the carton and bag to be folded and to be erected to open the bag. The side walls of the lower part of the bag are secured to the side walls of the carton so that when the carton is erected by opening the folded base into a V-form, the bottom part of the bag is opened, as the V-form is progressively widened, the bag is tensioned by the walls moving apart until the base of the carton moves xe2x80x9cover centrexe2x80x9d and inverts to brace the lower part of the bag open to receive an article or articles to be packed therein. No provision is made for enclosing the ends of the bag wrapped over the enclosed article.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,000 discloses a wrapper for a food product such as a hamburger which is defined by an outer layer of paperboard and an inner layer of glassine type of paper. The outer and inner layers are of generally rectangular form, the glassine type of paper extending beyond the side edges of the paperboard and having top and bottom edges, a major portion of each edge having radiused cutouts. The paperboard and glassine type of paper are joined by a narrow adhesive strip running lengthwise and centrally of them. The ends of the paperboard have hinged and relatively narrow locking panels. In use, a food product such as a hamburger is placed on top of the glassine type of paper at its midlength. The wrapper is folded around the hamburger to form a tube, the wrapper ends being secured together by twisting the locking panels, with the glassine type of paper extending from both ends of the tube being bunched together and tucked in beneath the hamburger, between it and the paperboard.
This invention provides a food pack comprising a tray formed from card having a rectangular base with fold up side walls and a sheet of wrapping material having a lower portion extending over the base of the tray and having side wall portions adhered to the sidewalls of the tray to receive a food item, the side walls of the sheet being brought together across the tray over the item and folded ends of the sheet projecting from the ends of the tray being tucked between the base of the tray and the lower portion of the sheet extending across the base; wherein the side walls have straight folds with the base, and the tray has end walls having curved fold lines with the base to snap upwardly, normal to the base of the tray and to impart a curved formation to the base, the end walls enclosing the wrapped food item with the sidewalls and covering the tucked-in ends of the wrapping material.
Preferably the end walls have folds which are convexly curved into the base so that the base is formed with an upwardly concave form wherein the end walls are snapped upwardly with respect to the base.
It is also preferred that the sheet of wrapping material is generally rectangular and is located at its centre in the tray.
Preferably the sheet of wrapping material is generally rectangular and is located at its centre in the tray.